Honey Baked Ham Opens First Stand-Alone Coon Rapids Location, Marking Expansion in Minnesota Market

COON RAPIDS, Minn.

March 21, 2026

On a busy commercial stretch along Riverdale Drive, where national retailers and local traffic converge, The Honey Baked Ham Company is staking a new presence in the north metro with the opening of its first stand-alone location in Coon Rapids. The grand opening, scheduled for Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., is both a promotional event and a strategic signal of the brand’s continued expansion across Minnesota.

The new store, located at 13111 Riverdale Drive NW, arrives at a moment when consumer habits are shifting toward convenience, speed, and hybrid dining experiences. For franchisee Matt Davis, who now operates 23 Honey Baked Ham locations, the Coon Rapids site reflects a deliberate evolution in how the company meets those expectations.

“We’re incredibly proud to bring Coon Rapids its first stand-alone HoneyBaked location and even more excited to introduce drive-thru convenience,” Davis said. “During the holidays, speed and accessibility matter. This new format helps us serve families, catering clients, and last-minute shoppers with greater ease than ever before.”

The nearly 3,000-square-foot restaurant opened quietly on March 9, offering seating for 35 guests and a menu that extends beyond the company’s well-known holiday offerings into everyday lunch service. Handcrafted sandwiches, take-home meals, and prepared sides position the store as both a quick-stop option and a seasonal destination.

Saturday’s grand opening is designed to introduce that dual identity to the community. At 11 a.m., the first 50 guests in line will receive a “Free HoneyBaked Sandwiches for a Year” promotion, distributed as a booklet of 12 complimentary sandwich coupons redeemable at the Coon Rapids location. The incentive, limited to one per household, is expected to draw early morning lines outside the store.

Inside, the event will unfold in steady intervals. Every 30 minutes between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., the store will raffle off a free Honey Baked Ham or turkey meal to selected guests. Product sampling stations will offer customers a taste of the brand’s core offerings, while a prize wheel and a storewide 20 percent discount add to the opening-day appeal.

At noon, a ribbon-cutting ceremony will formally mark the store’s entry into the community, a symbolic moment that underscores both local investment and broader retail growth along the Riverdale corridor.

The timing of the opening is not incidental. With Easter approaching, one of the company’s peak sales periods, the Coon Rapids location is positioned to absorb increased demand for holiday meals. The Honey Baked Ham Company, long associated with its spiral-sliced, bone-in hams finished with a sweet, crunchy glaze, has built its reputation on seasonal gatherings. Company representatives are already encouraging customers to place orders in advance through its online platform to ensure availability.

Founded in 1957 by Harry J. Hoenselaar in Detroit, the company began with a patented spiral-slicing machine that reshaped how ham was prepared and served. That innovation became the foundation of a brand that has since expanded to more than 400 locations nationwide, maintaining a focus on prepared meals designed for convenience without sacrificing quality.

In Coon Rapids, that legacy now meets a changing retail landscape. The addition of a drive-thru, still relatively uncommon for the brand, reflects an operational shift toward accessibility and efficiency, particularly during high-volume periods when traditional in-store service can slow under demand.

For the city, the opening adds another national brand to a corridor that continues to evolve as a regional shopping and dining hub. For customers, it introduces a familiar product in a format tailored to how people increasingly shop, order, and gather.

Following Saturday’s event, the store will operate Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., serving both walk-in and drive-thru customers as it settles into its role within the community.

Event Details
Location: 13111 Riverdale Drive NW, Coon Rapids, MN
Date: Saturday, March 21, 2026
Time: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

• 11 a.m.: First 50 guests receive sandwich giveaway
• 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Raffles every 30 minutes
• Noon: Ribbon-cutting ceremony

Media Contact:
Avery Fahey
Alliance Marketing Partners
813-545-4918
af@alliancemarketingpartners.com

MinneapoliMedia
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